Umaction Briefing ❖ Spring 2010 a Newsletter for United Methodists Working for Scripture-Based Reform in Our Denomination
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UMAction Briefing ❖ Spring 2010 A newsletter for United Methodists working for Scripture-based reform in our denomination. UM Seminary Sponsors Anti-War ‘Truth Commission’ Help Elect Pro-Reform Lay Members of Your UMAction nited Methodist Drew Theological School endorsed chiatrist and expert on post-traumatic stress disorder, opened Briefing UMAction and participated in an anti-war rally at New York City’s his talk by asking a rhetorical question: “Are service members, Annual Conference Briefing U famously liberal Riverside Church in March. The event particularly officers, slaves of the state?” Unsatisfied with the at Riverside Church largely ignored United Methodism’s official shock value of a single question, he sought to drive the point SPECIAL ACTION: Help your local church elect The Institute on Religion & Democracy “just war” teachings. Called “Truth Commission on Conscience home, saying, “Are officers slaves of the state? And let that a pro-reform Lay Member of your 2010 Annual 1023 15th Street NW, Suite 601, Washington, DC 20005-2601 in War,” the event was sponsored by an array of left-wing activist question settle in the pit of your stomach and curdle there.” Conference -- more than one, if your church elects 202.682.4131 • [email protected] Holston United Methodists Help groups and featured only speakers who were sharply condemn- Another speaker was Chris Hedges, formerly of The New York more than one Lay Member. Help elect a pro-reform www.TheIRD.org ing of the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Times. He alleged that aggression against the U.S. abroad is the Alternate too. Please act now. Besieged Christians of Southern Sudan The official purpose of the Truth Commission was to “launch consequence of past American violence. Referencing a famous conversations about just war, international law, and greater free- Riverside Church sermon of 40 years ago, he called the U.S. the Spring 2010 Key points: udan’s Darfur region, where African Muslims suffer under rule by Sudan’s dom of conscience for our nation’s service members.” Speakers “greatest purveyor of violence in the world.” IRD PRESIDENT/ UMACTION EDITOR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Islamist and Arabist regime, gets more publicity. But the Christians of south- focused on the alleged lack of rights for conscientious objectors “We speak almost exclusively to the rest of the world in the lan- • The 2010 Annual Conference will elect the delegates Mark Tooley S ern Sudan, whose civil war killed 2 million, are often ignored. Inside: within the U.S. military. One speaker bemoaned some soldiers’ guage of violence,” Hedges continued. “That language of violence is to the vitally important 2012 General Conference. CHAIRMAN VICE CHAIRMAN Even United Methodist News Service inaccurately confused Darfur with south- “disillusionment about the truth with the Iraq misadventure, one that we taught the world to speak back to us. It is the language the David M. Stanley Helen Rhea Stumbo • Talk now with pro-reform friends. Select and work ern Sudan when reporting on a conference about southern Sudan hosted by United United Methodist Lobbyist Attacks Tea along with the orchestration of lies and excuses and patriotism, hijackers on 9/11 spoke. Where else did they learn that huge explo- STEERING COMMITTEE Party Movement ................. .2 for a good candidate. Find out who is on your local Methodism’s Holston Conference. But United Methodists in Holston itself are not con- [which] leaves them no way out.” sions and death above a city skyline are a form of communication?” Jane Bonner William Bonner Ken Collins church’s Committee on Lay Leadership (nominations fused, and over 100 church members from Holston and elsewhere, including Holston’s Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, of United Methodist Garrett Hedges ended by imploring those in attendance to look at war Janice Crouse Walter Fenton J. Robert Ladd UM Backed Group Attacks committee). Get the date of your annual Charge Bishop James Swanson, gathered in Kingsport, Tennessee on March 11-12 to discuss Israel for Lent.................... .2 Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago, attempted to give and its attendant costs from a global perspective. “The pain that was Charles Miller Jim Otjes Bob Parrott Conference (usually in the Fall). Martin Nicholas Leo Scholl William Smallwood Holston’s extensive ministries in southern Sudan. a more philosophical critique of war. A self-professed expert in evident here, behind this podium – the pain of a mother who lost her Speaker Nancy Pelosi Applauds United Jean Leu Stanley John Stumbo In his address, Bishop Swanson explained the dynamic of the Holston-Sudan relationship. “queer theology” and “black and womanist theology,” Lightsey child, the pain of veterans who must carry with them the weight of Methodist Support for Obamacare ... .3 • Promptly talk with Lay Leadership Committee mem- “We’re not going to Sudan because they need us,” he said. “We’re going to Sudan because we said that a war’s “just cause can include self defense, protection killing – is a pain that we have visited on Iraqis, Afghanis, Palestinians ADVISORY BOARD bers and recommend a respected church member. George Anderson Karl Baumgardner Karen Booth need the Sudanese. And we need the Sudanese to show us how blessed we are.” United Methodist Bishop Helps Lead D.C. of the innocent, punishment for wrong doing, threat of aggres- [that] dwarfs any of our own pain,” he asserted. “And I ask tonight Plan for several pro-reform friends to do the same. Riley Case John Dowlin Ira Gallaway Rev. Boo Hankins and his wife Rev. Phyllis Hankins, Holston clergy currently serving March for Liberalized Immigration ..... .4 sion, or restoring property.” Shifting to her area of expertise, she that when we leave we begin to see that the pain that we endure is the H.T. Maclin Joy Moore Quentin Nesbitt in Yei, southern Sudan, were able to address the summit through a Skype discussion. Boo UM Seminary Sponsors Anti-War added, “I found that intriguing, particularly since we as African pain that they endure, and that our true brothers and sisters are those • If the Committee does not nominate your sug- Thomas Oden Edmund Robb, III T. Terrell Sessums Hankins is serving as a transitional district superintendent for United Methodism in Yei. ‘Truth Commission’ ............... .5 Americans have been talking about reparations for quite some who carry this burden and with whom we must reach out … to make gestion, you can make nominations during the Faye Short Glen Spann Donald Wildmon During his Skype call he was joined by Sudanese in Yei who explained political tensions time.” Dr. Lightsey quickly moved on, leaving the impression solidarity with and to rebuild a broken world.” Charge Conference. Request a secret ballot. Do UMACTION STAFF between Islamist northern Sudan and mostly Christian southern Sudan. In January, Help Elect Pro-Reform Lay Members of that she finds at least a partial just war justification for aggression not be discouraged by resistance or criticism. To Your Annual Conference ........... .6 ACTION: Respectfully, ask the Dean of Drew Theologi- Connor Ewing southern Sudan will vote on whether to become independent from Sudan. Many question intended to “restor[e] property” to African Americans. continue United Methodism’s return to Christian cal School, Dr. Maxine Clarke Beach, why her school whether Sudan’s Islamist regime will allow southern Sudan’s peaceful departure from its As the event neared its conclusion, speakers continued to faithfulness, many more Biblically-minded, pro- endorsed this conference. Her email: mbeach@drew. control, especially because of southern Sudan’s oil. wander from the core mission of the conference in favor of reform Lay Members of each Annual Conference edu. Please be courteous! Sudan’s largest churches are Anglican and Roman Catholic. United Methodists have a other agendas. For instance, Dr. Jonathan Shay, a clinical psy- are urgently needed. Do you receive Mark Tooley’s small presence, operating under the East Africa Conference of Bishop Daniel Wandabula. • Consider and pray: are YOU willing and able to UMAction E-Newsletter? Holston Conference’s involvement in southern Sudan began in early 2006, when Bishop Be sure to visit www.TheIRD.org to sign up for E-mail updates! serve as a Lay Member? If so, promptly tell the Lay Swanson was handed a picture of a young Sudanese boy crawling to a feeding station. Leadership Committee that you would like to serve. If not, just sign on to www.TheIRD.org Perched behind the child were waiting vultures. Moved by what he saw, Swanson chal- BM1002 Yes, I (we) want to help UMAction inform United Methodists and their If the position has already been filled, offer to serve as and register to receive this timely and in- lenged his staff to think of ways that Holston could help the southern Sudanese. Holston families about the urgent need for church reform and faithfulness the Alternate Lay Member. Also, contact your district formative email on the latest happenings sent a three-person fact-finding mission to Yei, Sudan in April 2006. affecting the United Methodist Church. It was the first of 8 trips by Holston missions teams to southern Sudan, with a ninth Enclosed it my tax-deductible gift of: office and offer to serve as a district at-large Lay currently planned. The Holston teams, totaling over 70 people, have provided medical Member of Annual Conference. Mark and his team are constantly $50 $75 $100 Other $ ________ My Name: ____________________________________________ services to 3,000 Sudanese and over 125 hours of clergy leadership training. In early 2008, traveling the country and reporting Bishop Swanson joined East Africa’s Bishop Daniel Wandabula in signing a “Covenant on the latest developments within the _____ Please send UMAction Briefing to the Address: _____________________________________________ United Methodists on the enclosed list of United Methodist church.